senators mikulski and cardin have been leaders, fighting to make health care more affordable and to make sure seniors have access to the medicines their doctor prescribes. now maryland senators can improve medicare and help close the donut hole without raising premiums on seniors by as much as 20%, which some proposals would do. call today -- ask senators mikulski and cardin to support the senate health care reform bill.

because we can improve medicare without making seniors pay more. on our broadcast tonight -- safety warning, it's a big one. it involves cribs. in fact, it's the largest recall ever. and they're off -- as shoppers hit the stores, a look at who's out there doing the spending. crossing the line perhaps -- the catholic church fighting with some of its own and it's political. and susan boyle has hit these shores and stores with new music and another unpredictable story line. also tonight, making a difference in the thanksgiving spirit. difference in the thanksgiving spirit. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening, we begin

tonight with the largest recall of its kind and this is a safety issue because the product is cribs. over 2 million of them sold under several brand names. the u.s. and canadian consumer product safety regulators are warning of a suffocation risk. they say kids can get trap and a and can die and they are urging parents to stop using them immediately. we begin tonight with our own tom costello in washington. tom, good evening. >> reporter: brian, the consumer product safety commission says there have been 15 cases of children becoming trap and r and four reported deaths. the cribbs are made by storecraft based in canada. the recall, 2 million. while the removeable drop side railing is convenient for parent, the heart ware can break and railings can become very dangerous. this newest recall involves one of the most widely purchased brand names in baby cribs, sold at target, walmart, series and

kmart. sometimes under the storecraft name but also under different brand names. earlier this year. storkraft recalled 3 million cribs. crib safety has been a major issue for the consumer product safety commission with more than 5 million cribs made by various manufacturers recalled over the past two years. >> children are supposed to be safe in their beds and our wasn't. >> it's been four and a half years since chand nicki johnson put their 9-month-old son liam to bed. the next morning they found him stuck between the rail, strangled, not breathing. >> called 911 and my brother and i did cpr on him until the ambulance got there. they took him to the hospital where they pronounced him dead. >> reporter: liam's death in a drop side crib led to a massive recall in simplicity and graco cribs after investigators determined that a faulty design led parents to install the krob

side upside-down. this this storkraft can be installed upside-down and with plastic hardware that can break pose serious risk to children. advocates say it's time to get rid of drop side altogether. >> because of the amount of hardware involved have been involved in numerous deaths and injuries, crib failures where the side may come loose or come off. >> reporter: again storkraft are sold under storng raft baby and also storkine and the fisher price brand name. meantime cribbs often stay in homes for generations so if you one of the cribs in your basement that's being recalleded, you should get it fix order get rid of it. and the industry standards board decided they will no longer certify drop side cribs. pretty universal thought here that it's time to get rid of

them altogether here. >> tom costello starting us off in our washington newsroom, thanks. we shift our focus to the american economy. as we all know this week marx the holiday shopping season but the bigger question is will people really be spending in this economy? again, big question. our own john yang with us from chicago with more on that. good evening. >> good evening, brian. this stretch of michigan avenue is known as the magnificent mile, one of the biggest shopping streets in america and after a year of recession and stingy consumer spending, this holiday shopping season is more important than every to retailers' bottom lines what we're going do today is pretty much simulate what black friday is going to look like. >> at a best buy in downtown chicago -- >> this day is is especially important. >> a rehearsal for black friday and what retailers hope will be a big crowd of eagler bargain hunters. >> starting 5:00 a.m. friday. >> starls at 4:00 a.m. >> doors open at 3:00 a.m.,

don't miss it. >> reporter: economists say the recession may be over but consumers are still worried. i'm looking for something to keep up with the times but be easy on my wallet. >> unless it's a really good deal, i'm not going to do it. >> reporter: americans said they expect to spend $390 on gifts thus holiday season, that's down from $418 last year just as the economy was collapsing. another report shows the average outstanding credit card balance dropped $100 in just three months to a little over $5600, a sign consumers want to pay down debt not add to it. >> a high unemployment rate doesn't make many more people want to go out and crease their spending. >> reporter: to get their share of the scarce shopping delay, retailers aren't waiting for black friday to begin the holiday hoopla and big sales. >> this wednesday, we're calling it white wednesday, we're starting with buy one get one free sweaters. >> reporter: analysts say this year isn't about conspicuous consumption, it's about smart

consumption. >> one of the stronger categories will be apparel where the price tag isn't quite so offputting. we're calling it the cheap thrill christmas. >> reporter: take this battery operated ham sister, zhu zhu pet, already stores are struggle to keep up with demand, even though the list price is $7.99, websites are offering them at ten times that. >> when the consumer was not opening their wallet, as a result, i just don't think there's going to be that much merchandise out there. >> and that means that as christmas approaches, some of those hot items and big discounts could be getting scarce. brian? >> john yang in the miracle mile in chicago tonight. thanks. there was this bit of economic news today. good, sales of existing homes in this country shot up 10.1% in the month of october. to the highest level in more than 2 1/2 years. the numbers got a boost from an $8,000 tax credit for those

first-time home owners. housing report helped wall street. the dow finished at a 13-month high. you might have followed the rare around dramatic saturday night session in washington this past weekend and the vote. democrats in the senate were able to muster 6 o that's the safe majority they needed to bring the health care reform are bill to the senate floor just to debate it. nothing close here to having something ready for the president's signature. the hard part, you series, it just getting started. our white house correspondent savannah guthrie with us from there tonight with more on this battle ahead. savannah, for people who weren't following every twist and turn, what really happened this weekend? >> brian, it was vintage politics, a lot of arm twisting and horse trading. as you said, all democrats and two independents hung together to form a fragile coalition, one that's already starting to break and with this long health care debate starting to take a toll on the president's poll number, it's clear this white house in a s in a hurry to get health care

reform done and move on. convening his cabinet today, the president barely mentioned health care, anxious to show he's focused on jobs. >> lie not rest until businesses are investing again. and businesses are hiring again. >> reporter: the president won a key health care victory in the senate saturday night. >> the motion is agreed to. >> reporter: but it was a squeaker. democrats just cobbled together the 60 votes they needed to start debate on the health care reform bill and for a moment indulge in some rare emotion. >> kri, i just spoke to vicki denky. she, of course, was in tears and she believed that ted is watching us. >> i have a feeling he may have be been. >> nebraska. >> reporter: but even as they fell in line so debate could start, senators 345id clear they can't be counted on to vote for the final bill without big changes. the government-run insurance plan known as the public option, a deal breaker. >> and i will not vote in favor

of the proposal that has been introduced by leader reid. >> reporter: just to get this far, harry reid engaged in old-fashioned horse trading. louisiana senator mary landrieu securing hundreds of millions of dollars in extra medicaid funding for her state in what called the louisiana purchase. >> i a not going to be defensive about asking for help in this situation and it is not a $100 million fix. it's a $300 million fix. >> reporter: at the white house, aides focused on the end game. >> we're happy that progress was made. >> at any cost. >> yeah, that's better directed to the senate. >> reporter: well, this public option is the real sticking point right now. moderates won't live with it. liberal democrats won't live without it so probably more horse trading to come, brian. >> all right, savannah guthrie at the white house. while we have you, on afghanistan, four more american

deaths in afghanistan just over the past 24 hours. one today. just think of that thanksgiving week for their families and loved once and on that topic, what's the progress of the president's thinking and deliberations? >> well the president is meeting tonight for the ninth and perhaps the final time with his war council in the situation room and we're told not to skpa expect a decision this week but it may come as early as next week, brian. >> all right, savannah guthrie at the white house for us tonight. thanks. a recent bitter dispute has been praying out in recent weeks between congressman patrick kennedy and his roman catholic bishop. as ron allen reports tonight, it's the latest instance of a church asserting a role in some of this nation's most contentious issues. >> reporter: as the nation grapples with emotional issues like health care reform, abortion and same-sex makers the catholic church is flexing its religious and political muscle. >> all health care insurance plans --

>> reporter: caught up in an unlikely personal argument with the son of the late senator over his bishop's request in a confidential letter not to take communion because he supports abortion rights. >> keep in mind, i didn't go after him, he started this dialogue when he attacked the church nearly a month ago. to receive the sacrament, you have to be in union with the church. >> reporter: kennedy chastiseded the church for demanding restrictions in the health care reform bill. he could not be reached for comment but recent spoke to cyber cast news church. >> if the church is pro-life they ought to be for health care reform because it's going to provide health care to keep people alive. >> reporter: the catholic church like all religious institutions has rarely been this aggressive politically. >> i think church sees this as a golden opportunity to turn church doctrine into the law of the united states at every level and frankly they're not above using spiritual and political

blackmail to do it. >> reporter: in washington, d.c., where they could approve a same-sex marriage bill next week. they say it would force them to end programs helping the needy. because the law would require groups like catholic charities to provide full employee benefits to same-sex couple, the something the church refuses to do. >> church leaders say they are morally obligated to take strong stands on issues. >> we have a right and a duty to bring spiritual visions and values into these discussions. >> reporter: discussion over heated issues that divide a prominent congressman and his church and americans of all faiths. ron allen, nbc news, new york. america has lost another recipient of the medal of honor. alejandro ruiz has died. son of mexican immigrants, he fought in okinawa, walking through fire and grenades to take out a pill box and single

handedly kill 12 enemy soldiers. argument is, president truman awarded him with the medal of honor. he stayed in the army for 16 more years and fought again in korea, he retired as a sergeant, his death leaves 92 living recipients of the medal of honor. when "nightly news" continues on a monday evening, making a difference, how a gourmet chef is changing lives and menus on what they used to call the other side of the tracks. and the woman who wowed them eight months ago is back. susan boyle isn't just the subject of an internet video clip anymore. but nothing comes out! advil cold & sinus knows that the real problem isn't always mucus. it's often swelling caused by inflammation in your nasal passages. the right medicine for the real problem is advil cold & sinus with a strong decongestant that reduces swelling to relieve sinus pressure plus the power of advil for the pain. advil cold & sinus.

the right medicine for the real problem. ask for the red box at the pharmacy counter. people think that honda is always the most fuel efficient choice. well, this chevy cobalt xfe has better highway mileage than a comparable honda civic. this chevy traverse has better mileage than honda pilot. the all-new chevy equinox has better mileage than honda cr-v. and chevy malibu has better mileage than accord. however, honda does make something that we just can't compete with. it's self propelled. chevy. compare us to anyone and may the best car win. let's go to last night's highlights. there's mom and dad cleaning up. and there's the meatloaf. yuck. look what sometimes happens with the ordinary bag. it slips, oh, bingo, it falls in. mom was mad. mom should have used glad forceflex with the new stretchable drawstring that grips the can and stays in place. plus, it has the stretchable strength of forceflex. that's all today for glad tv.

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♪ with a voice as soft as thunder ♪ >> there she was this morning with string section right outside our building here at rockefeller plaza, susan boyle singing her heart out, promoting her brand new album. considering we have only known her name for eight months, it still officially qualifies as a saga, her story does. tonight, nbc's anne thompson has the latest chapter. >> reporter: as she finished the song on this morning's "today" show, susan boyle allowed herself a momentary look of disbelief and who could blame her? her debut album out today garnered the largest preorder in the history of amazon.com and it's a best seller on itunes, a triumph for the world's biggest underdog. >> how old are you, susan? >> i am 47. >> reporter: it was a mere eight months, she was a frumpy

unemployed contestant on "britain's got talent." her performance stunned the judges and the world. and put boyle through the celebrity writher. the world learned she had mild brain damage, learning disabilities and lived alone with her cat in scotland. ultimately, she finished second on the show and then was hospitalized for exhaustion. her dream seemingly turned to shame. now with an album to promote, she is camera rand more confident as she told nbc's matt lauer. >> i've grown up a bit. i've become a bit of a lady. >> reporter: but she remains unpredictable and is tough to categorize as her album where the songs range from classic rock to blues to a christmas standard. >> and that, music industry experts say, could make it hard for boyle to get a lot of radio

play to push album sale, but like other phenoms, boyle may change the rules. >> the gross demand to hear susan boyle actually creates opportunities for her in format where is maybe radio wasn't playing music like that before. >> reporter: creating opportunities to keep her dream alive. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. and when we back, the monster movie of the weekend, not so much about monsters really as it was a monster at the box office. we wanted to be there for her... to hold on to her. mom's doctor said his symptoms were signs of alzheimer's, a type of dementia, and that prescription aricept could help. it's thought aricept may reduce the breakdown of a vital chemical in the brain. studies showed aricept slows the progression of alzheimer's symptoms. it improves cognition and slows the decline of overall function. (announcer) aricept is well tolerated but not for everyone. people at risk for stomach ulcers or who take certain other medicines should tell their doctors because serious stomach problems such as bleeding,

may get worse. some people may experience fainting. some people may have nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bruising, or not sleep well. some people may have muscle cramps or loss of appetite or may feel tired. in studies these were usually mild and temporary. (woman) if it helps mom be more like herself longer, that's everything to us. (announcer) don't wait. talk to your doctor about aricept.

we have more tonight on a story a lot of americans woke up to this morning involving a familiar name. three mile island, the first thing we ever called tmi. the news was a radiation leak at the nuclear plant, the same one that famously almost disastro disastrously suffered a partial meltdown three decades ago. this time no danger to the p public, about a dozen workers were exposed to what was called

an insignificant amount of radiation. we're told things are now, quote, back to normal. great new pictures from space, something none of us will get to see in person. this is one of saturn's moons seen in greater detail than ever before. you can actually see jets of water vapor spewing hundreds of miles into space high above saturn's moon's rugged surface, photos taken by the cassini spacecraft which has been shooting away up there for five years now. hollywood has another world ly hit on its hand, all about vam pi, wear wolves and teen row malignant. a lot of people saw this coming "new moon," the move vi with the boy who's also a wolf pulled in more than $140 million over the weekend, third biggest opening ever behind only the dark knight and spider-man 3. sarah palin's book tour rolls on. today's stop ft. bragg, north carolina. military installations, generally offlimits for political appearances so there was no speech. but palin was allowed to meet

and greet it because as an army spokesman put it it, she's not a political figure per se. she is, after all, an army mom. everybody thought margaret thatcher looked terrific today when she attended the unveiling of her official portrait as prime minister. at number 10 downing street in london, lady that mucher is now 84 years old. and carl castle, news voice of morning edition on npr and announcer voice and human prize on the nbr quiz radio show, wait, wait, don't tell me, has announced he is stepping down. castle which is spelled differently from the medieval structure but just as heavily fortified will stay on as the judge and time keep and moral compass. when we come back, our "making a difference" report in the spirit of thanksgiving. and high cholesterol, can decrease blood flow,

which may lead to ed. that was news to me my doctor told me levitra could help. (announcer) levitra works by increasing blood flow to help treat ed. ask your doctor if you're healthy enough for sexual activity. if you have heart problems, are on alpha-blocker therapy, or have uncontrolled high blood pressure, talk to your doctor before taking levitra. do not take levitra if you take nitrates for chest pains as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects may include headache, flushing and stuffy or runny nose. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help if you experience an erection lasting longer than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss of vision or hearing, stop taking levitra, and call your doctor right away. ask your doctor if levitra is right for you. for a free trial offer and more information, go to levitra.com and get a cold. you need cold medicine with a heart. only coricidin hbp has a heart, right on the box. it's the only cold brand that won't raise your blood pressure. coricidin hbp. powerful cold medicine with a heart.

caused by a completely blocked artery, another heart attack could be lurking, waiting to strike. a heart attack caused by a clot, one that could be fatal. plavix, taken with other heart medicines goes beyond what other heart medicines do alone to provide greater protection against heart attack or stroke and even death by helping to keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots. ask your doctor about plavix, protection that helps save lives. (female announcer) if you have stomach ulcer or other condition that causes bleeding, you should not use plavix. taking plavix alone or with some other medicines including aspirin, tell your doctor before planning surgery or taking aspirin or other medicines with plavix, especially if you've had a stroke. some medicines that are used to treat heartburn may affect how plavix works, so tell your doctor if you are taking other medicines. if fever, unexplained weakness or confusion develops, tell your doctor promptly. a rare but potentially life-threatening condition

reported sometimes less than two weeks after starting plavix. other rare but serious side effects may occur. (male announcer) if you take plavix with other heart medicines continuing to do so will help increase protection against a future heart attack or stroke. feeling better doesn't mean not at risk. stay with plavix. finally tonight, look around. if there's more family in the house than usual or more food in the fridge than you're used to then we must be approaching thanksgiving. with that theme, the season in mind, tonight's "making a difference" report. it's about a trained chef who is

training his talents on the homeless. george lewis has our tore from richmond, california. >> all right, so we're rolling with two lasagnas. >> reporter: chef tim hammock directing his kitchen crew at lunch time. >> remember, you eat with your eyes first. >> reporter: this is not a pricey four tar restaurant. it's a kitchen on the bay area rescue mission on the wrong side of the tracks in richmond, california. >> just because we're a homeless shelt doesn't mean we serve slop in a bowl. >> the soup is great. i enjoy the soup. >> reporter: the message -- somebody cares about you. >> a lot of these people are told every day they're nothing and they have no worth. and so treat them with respect and love and give them a good meal that come from the heart i think is really important. >> reporter: most of the food is donated by local supermarkets. >> that's a lot of beans. trucks back up and you have no idea what you're going to get from day to day. >> reporter: but with a bit of improvising. >> this is salad capres is e, a

traditional italian salad. >> reporter: tim hammock started off as a chef in the napa valley, cooking for well heeled visitors to the wichb country. as much as he tlingd here, tim was looking for something more meaningful, so he signed up as chef at the bay area rescue mission for one year. that was almost eight years ago. >> hey, sam, you how doing tonight? once i got here and saw people lives change in a major impactful way, that's what prompted me to stay. >> reporter: he's also changes lives of his kitchen crew. come on down. guys like odell thomas, a recovering crack addict. >> if you see the people come through the doors and when they finish, they tell you thank you, it's a great joy i never experienced in my life. >> reporter: odell is one of several crew members who plan to bet culinary arts certificates from a community college. at the end of the day tim toasts them with cranberry juice. >> all right, thanks,